


i’ve been silent for too long

by blue_sherbet



Series: nova scotia orphanage au [3]
Category: Anne of Green Gables - L. M. Montgomery, Anne with an E (TV)
Genre: AU where Anne and Gilbert grew up in the orphanage together, Alternate Universe - Childhood Friends, Angst, Anne’s bullies are horrible, Does anybody know if that girl who used to pick on Anne actually has a name?, F/M, Fights, Fluff and Angst, Gilbert would protect Anne with his own life, More angst than I’m used to writing anyway, The fluff is more of a background element though, but no surprise there ig
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-11-11
Updated: 2019-11-11
Packaged: 2021-01-27 18:16:25
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,924
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21396544
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/blue_sherbet/pseuds/blue_sherbet
Summary: A restless, uneasy feeling prickled somewhere at the back of Gilbert’s mind, prodding at him to get up, that something wasn’t right.The words being spoken were faint and hard to hear. Even so, there was a tone behind them that sounded unkind, scornful...threatening.He could’ve sworn he heard someone say something about ‘Princess Cordelia’.[Gilbert overhears Anne being picked on and steps in to help]
Relationships: Gilbert Blythe & Anne Shirley
Series: nova scotia orphanage au [3]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1523222
Comments: 11
Kudos: 67





	i’ve been silent for too long

**Author's Note:**

> this is the third part of my nova scotia orphanage au. it _can_ be read as a stand alone fic but it’ll probably make a bit more sense if you read the other two parts (particularly the first one) beforehand.
> 
> gilbert’s around 10-ish in this part, making anne 8.
> 
> also “katie smith” is the name i gave that girl who bullied anne in the orphanage. so yeah, that’s who i was envisioning when i wrote this.
> 
> i also named/mentioned her in a previous part before i remembered that katie is also the name of anne’s imaginary friend...and we’re just gonna go ahead and pretend that minor detail doesn’t exist in this universe.
> 
> [disclaimer: i’m not from the us/canada so any unusual spellings are more than likely just how the word is written in my country. i _do_ know how to spell, promise lol.]

Howling wind pushed angrily against the walls of the Saint Albans Orphanage. The old, cracked brick was the only thing sheltering the children tucked away inside from the torrent of rain pounding down atop the building’s leaky roof as thunder boomed loudly in the distance.

Gilbert Blythe yanked at his threadbare blanket, dragging it up to his chin and curling his entire body into a tight ball. It was a weak and entirely pointless attempt to shield himself from the icy draft that blew into the dormitory through a particularly large hole in the ceiling. 

Blinking into the darkness, he listened carefully, chewing on his thumbnail in a fretful manner. He needed something, _anything_ to distract himself from the chill that was keeping him awake.

He shivered and buried himself further into the thin straw-stuffed mattress. 

There were never enough blankets to go around in winter. Only children well liked by those in charge ever received extras.

Gilbert was not one of those children. 

Charming though the little boy was, being associated with a certain redhead seemed to put a damper on any efforts he put forth to win the affections of the nurses, who had a strange hatred for the girl.

Gilbert had never understood how anyone could possibly dislike Anne. She was bright, creative and had a personality that made her seem larger than life itself, despite being small in stature.

The other orphans considered her to be a freak. They were always picking on her, making fun of her whimsical, sunshiny ways. It affected her greatly, though she would try to pretend it didn’t. 

Gilbert hated seeing the way the light would drain from her eyes whenever someone hissed a cruel, mocking name in her direction as they pushed by her in the hall, or how she’d worry at her lip anxiously and refuse to look him in the eye when he questioned her about the mysterious marks that regularly appeared on her face and arms overnight, bruises and scratches littering the skin in a way that made him feel sick to his stomach.

He protected her to the best of his ability, fending off those who tried to hurt her whenever he could. Try as he might though, the bullies never relented, always coming back stronger and more brutal than before.

It made Gilbert furious.

The room was quiet, save for the slow, rattly breaths of the other boys sleeping nearby and the _drip drip_ of water falling from the cracked roof to a shallow puddle collecting on the floor.

Gilbert’s eyes grew heavy as he concentrated on the sounds until gradually, little by little, they blurred to form a steady, rhythmic melody in his mind. 

He relaxed, feeling himself begin to doze.

And that’s when he heard it.

Voices.

Girls voices, to be more precise. Coming from down the corridor where Anne’s dorm was.

It shouldn’t have bothered him. There was a plethora of perfectly good reasons why they might have been up so late. It certainly wouldn’t have been the first time he’d overheard other children in nearby dormitories late at night, hushed voices hissing and giggling at the thrill of defying the rules, at being rebellious enough to stay awake those extra few hours to gossip with their friends.

Nonetheless, he _was_ bothered. Very much so. 

A restless, uneasy feeling prickled somewhere at the back of his mind, prodding at him to get up, that something wasn’t right.

The words being spoken were faint and hard to hear. Even so, there was a tone behind them that sounded unkind, scornful...threatening.

He jumped, eyes snapping open upon hearing a sudden burst of harsh laughter echo down the hallway.

He could’ve sworn he heard someone say something about ‘Princess Cordelia’.

More laughter. A younger voice cried out this time, panicked and afraid. 

He heard the start of his name come next, a brief, almost involuntary yell for help that was cut off midway.

“Gil-!”

Gilbert sat bolt upright, head spinning.

_Anne!_

The boy launched himself from the mattress and made a wild dash for the door, weaving his way past the cluster of beds and nearly tripping over the hem of his nightgown in the process. 

Skidding into the corridor, he thudded towards Anne’s dormitory at a lightning pace, thankful that there were no nurses in sight to stop him. 

He reached the room in a matter of seconds, hurtling in without hesitation.

The scene that was laid out before him made his belly instantly fill with a burning hot rage. 

His fists clenched.

Katie Smith, a tough, mean older girl who Gilbert had caught tormenting Anne on many previous occasions, had pinned his friend against her bed, hands pressed to the tiny redhead’s mouth, quelling any attempts to make noise. A few other girls held down Anne’s arms and legs, rendering the child completely unable to move.

One of Katie’s friends, Jess, was reading aloud from a small, tattered notepad that Gilbert instantly recognised as Anne’s writing book, a mocking sneer plastered across her face.

It was Anne’s most prized possession, filled with scrawled handwriting that told tales of stunning princesses, fire-breathing dragons and other fairytale creatures, their adventures all described in vivid detail.

Gilbert wondered briefly how they’d managed to find it. Anne kept it hidden under a floorboard in the writing nook she’d claimed for herself beneath the attic staircase.

It was infuriating to think of how Katie and her gang must have invaded the little sanctuary Anne had created there to stumble across it.

Anne had turned her gaze to look up at him when he’d barrelled in. Her big grey eyes were wet with tears and her face was pale, coloured only by a very light tinge of blue that Gilbert could see came from how Katie was practically smothering her.

She looked absolutely terrified.

Gilbert yelled, voice trembling with outrage. “Let _go_ of her!”

Katie sniffed scornfully. “No.”

“Get. Off.” Gilbert growled, sounding as threatening as he was able while clad in his raggedy nightclothes and bare feet.

“Make me,” Katie taunted, further angering the already fuming boy.

Anne glanced between the two of them, letting loose a quiet whimper of concern.

Not giving it a second the thought, Gilbert threw himself at the bully. “I said _get off_!”

The girls holding Anne down scrambled out of the way as he approached, yelping in surprise. 

Katie raised her fists, striking out blindly as Gilbert crashed into her and sent the two of them tumbling to the floor.

Manoeuvring herself quickly, she landed on top of him, swiping out to catch her knuckles across his cheekbone. 

Gilbert flinched back, taking a moment to recover before immediately moving to retaliate.

Reaching up, he grabbed a handful of her tangled, greasy hair and yanked her head to the side.

Katie squawked indignantly, fists swinging haphazardly in his direction.

“Stop it!” One girl shrieked from the sidelines.

“Fight!” Another squealed gleefully.

With a sudden burst of strength, Gilbert grunted and, keeping a tight grip on Katie’s brown locks, rolled over forcefully.

Katie was now the one with her back to the ground, giving Gilbert the upper hand. 

He planted himself firmly on her chest, using his legs to trap her arms against her sides. He kept own his hands pressed on the floor, struggling to maintain his balance.

The older girl gaped up at him in outrage, realising that the smaller child had successfully managed to restrain her. Attempting to buck him off, she wrenched her arms upwards and kicked her legs furiously.

Gilbert wobbled slightly but refused to budge.

“If you _ever_ hassle Anne again, you’ll regret it.” He spat at her, heart hammering with adrenaline.

Katie simply panted in response, eyes flashing with resentment. If looks could kill Gilbert would have been long dead.

Ignoring the glare and satisfied that he had made his point, Gilbert moved to get up, having no desire to continue fighting with the girl.

The entire thing made him a bit uncomfortable. He usually refrained from getting into scuffles. His father had brought him up with the belief that brawling caused more problems than it solved, accomplishing little except to get those involved hurt.

Still, he thought his dad would agree that protecting his best friend from her tormentors was a valid exception to the rule.

Katie though, seemed to hold an entirely different opinion on the topic. 

As soon as Gilbert shifted his weight, her arms flew up and out. Grabbing him by the shoulders, she pushed him to the floor and smacked him repeatedly across the face with the flat of her palm.

“Oopsie, does that hurt?” She jeered when he squeaked in astonishment.

Gilbert, though caught off guard, still manage to shove her away from himself once more, getting in a few good swings of his own in the process.

He didn’t _like_ fighting, no, but he certainly wasn’t going to let Katie best him. She’d never lay off Anne if that happened.

The pair scrambled to their feet, still throwing punches.

The rest of the room was in chaos by that point, cheers and shouts coming from all directions.

Engrossed in his ongoing battle with the brunette standing opposite, Gilbert barely noticed when the uproar was cut short by a tall, robust figure appearing at the doorway.

It was only when Katie glanced over his shoulder and stopped short that Gilbert registered the sudden quiet.

Katie slowly turned back to him, smirking triumphantly. He frowned, puzzled as she proceeded to collapse onto the floor. Burying her face in her hands, she began to sob dramatically.

“Oh, stop it!” She shrieked up at him.

“Huh?” Gilbert asked, unable to do anything but gawk at her in utter bemusement.

“Don’t hurt me!” She continued to beg, sniffling and whimpering pathetically.

The boy’s eyes widened, the confusion fading as he slowly realised what, or rather _whom_, Katie must have seen behind him.

Swinging around, his suspicions were confirmed when he came face to face with a scowling nurse. 

Gilbert’s breath hitched. It was Nurse Martha, a loud, angry woman who was feared amongst the children for her heavy hand and quick temper. 

“**What is going on here?**” She roared at him, voice booming.

“I-I...” Gilbert faltered, scrambling for an explanation.

He nearly leapt out of his skin when Anne suddenly materialised next to him, having slipped out from beneath the bed she’d hidden herself under when the fight had begun. Grabbing two fistfuls of his nightgown, she clung to his side nervously.

Gilbert hated seeing the girl so skittish and wary. It didn’t suit her. The Anne _he_ knew was bold and forthright, if a little bit tactless. But instances such as this seemed to drain that side of her, leaving a timid, empty shell in its place.

Nurse Martha sneered down at the redhead. “I might’ve known _you_ would be involved.”

Gilbert frowned sullenly, moving to put a defensive arm around Anne. “It wasn’t her fault.“

“Well it was someone’s, I can gather that much.” Nurse Martha said impatiently. “Somebody had better own up. If I don’t get an explanation right quick, the whole lot ya’ will be punished for this ruckus.”

Katie piped up from her place on the floor. “Ma’am? I-I think I can explain.”

“Speak up then, child.”

Katie stood, making a great show of wiping her eyes and nose as she inhaled a shuddering breath. 

“It was his fault,” she finally announced, pointing in Gilbert’s direction. “He snuck in here to talk to Anne after lights out.”

“What?!” Gilbert yelped. “That’s not-“

“Quiet!” Nurse Martha snapped, effectively silencing him. She gestured towards Katie. “Continue.”

“I tried to get him to leave but he wouldn’t listen. He got angry when I told him I’d call for a nurse if he didn’t go away and h-he...” her voice cracked. “he just _lunged_ at me!”

“That’s not true!” Gilbert shouted in frustration. “They were hurting Anne! I was just trying to stop ‘em!”

“Me? Hurt Anne? I would never!” Katie gasped, the tears welling up once again. “I was trying to stop you from keeping her awake, so she wouldn’t get into trouble for being tired tomorrow. If anyone was hurting her, it was _you_ for trying to make her stay up!”

It was this accusation that seemed to finally spur Anne to talk.

“He wasn’t!” She burst out angrily, refusing to let her best friend take blame for harming her in any way, shape or form. “Gilbert’s telling the truth, I swear! They _were_ being hateful to me.”

Katie glowered viciously at her, eyes shooting daggers.

Anne squeaked, tensing up again. Her freckled face flushed pink as she ducked her head shyly.

Gilbert slipped his hand over Anne’s and squeezed tightly, flashing her a grateful smile when she glanced up at him. The corners of her mouth lifted weakly in response.

“Anne’s lying,” Katie told Nurse Martha, making her eyes go wide and innocent. “She’s only saying that because Gilbert’s her friend and she doesn’t want him to be punished.”

“One of you is undoubtedly telling falsehoods.” Nurse Martha snarled. “If I cant get a straight answer, all three of you will have to be disciplined.”

“The other girls will vouch for me,” Katie said confidently. “They all saw what happened.”

“Well?” The nurse snapped, turning to glare at the children huddled on the surrounding beds. 

“Katie’s telling the truth, ma’am.” One of Katie’s friends said solemnly.

A murmur of agreement rose from the rest of the group, one that only grew louder when Katie shot a warning scowl in their direction.

“No! That’s not fair!” Gilbert cried, even as he knew it was pointless to argue further. Katie had far more ‘witnesses’ than he did. If anyone was going to be believed, it was her.

“Enough!” Nurse Martha commanded him.

“But-“ Anne started, somehow finding the courage to pipe up again.

“I won’t hear anymore of it!” Nurse Martha scolded, turning to face them with hands planted on her hips. “You two should be ashamed of yourselves! First you break curfew and hurt an innocent girl, then you lie about it and give me back-chat! You’re both wicked children!”

“Anne didn’t do anything,” Gilbert said quickly, feeling the girl go stiff beside him. He wasn’t going to let her be punished too. Not after everything. “It was my fault. I was the one who...who snuck in. She had nothing to do with it.”

“Fine,” Nurse Martha agreed, though she didn’t look happy about it. “you alone will be punished then.”

“Yes, ma’am,” he mumbled, lowering his hazel gaze towards his feet. 

At least Anne would be safe. He could still feel her trembling beside him now. He never would’ve forgiven himself if he’d gotten her in trouble too.

“Come here then.” The nurse ordered.

The lad hesitated, dread pooling in the pit of his tummy. Nurse Martha was known for her harsh punishments. He couldn’t help but be afraid of what she might do to him.

Unfortunately, his stalling only served to infuriate her even more so.

“Come!” She snapped, her large hand reaching out to catch Gilbert by the back of the collar, wrenching him away from Anne roughly.

Gilbert nearly tripped over his own feet, struggling to keep himself upright as he was dragged across the room.

Nurse Martha stopped dead in her tracks a few feet away from the door, spotting another nurse passing by on her nightly rounds.

“Alice.” She barked out, keeping a firm hold on Gilbert, who had started squirming anxiously.

The other nurse slowed to a halt. “Yes, Martha?”

“Fetch me the strap.” Nurse Martha ordered in a cold tone. “We’ve had an incident.”

Gasps and low whispers filled the dorm at her words, the girls hissing at each other excitably.

Nurse Alice nodded once, appearing unaffected. 

“Of course. I’ll get it now.” She responded briskly, disappearing down the corridor.

Gilbert’s heart dropped, a wave of nausea washing over him. He spun his head around to look at Anne, who was staring back at him in pure horror. Guilt was written all over her small face.

She opened her mouth to say something but Gilbert shook his head in alarm, causing her to hesitate.

He could see how badly she wanted to argue against the punishment, to shout about how it wasn’t fair, that he’d done nothing wrong. He knew it wouldn’t do any good though. It would only succeed in getting her into trouble alongside him. 

And he wouldn’t let her do that, no matter what.

Anne bit her lip, eyes wet and filled with worry. 

_“I’m sorry.”_ She mouthed.

_”S’not your fault. I’ll be fine.”_ He replied, equally as hushed.

Nurse Martha turned back to the girls one last time. “You lot. Get in bed _now_. I don’t want to hear another peep from any one of you, understand?”

A chorus of agreements and mumbled apologies came forth as the young girls all scrambled hastily under their covers, save for Anne, who stayed frozen in place.

As Nurse Martha made to pull him into the hall, Gilbert shot Anne what he hoped was a comforting smile. 

He wanted her to know that he didn’t blame her, that it hadn’t been her fault. 

That it was _never_ her fault.

It had been his choice to fight Katie. He’d known risks and he’d done it anyway. 

And he also knew that, given the opportunity, he’d do it again.

Because he’d do _anything_ to protect Anne.

Anything.

**Author's Note:**

> i was kinda nervous about writing this part from gilbert’s perspective since i find his personality really hard to get right.
> 
> in this fic i wanted to explore the idea of how the whole deal with anne and her bullies would have been affected if gilbert had been involved. we all know anne can take care of herself, but in her flashbacks she never seems to stand up for herself when being picked on, coming across as uncharacteristically timid and frightened (something that also happens when billy corners her in s1 ep3 and again when they’re talking to the matron in s3 ep2)...and i figured that if anne wasn’t willing to defend herself then gilbert sure as heck would’ve.
> 
> feel free to leave kudos and comments! i love hearing what you guys think!
> 
> [title from silence by marshmello]


End file.
